[UPDATE. The Jakarta Globe story has moved here, and the number of volcanoes allegedly ‘ready to erupt’ has increased to 21. The article lists three volcanoes at alert level 3 and eighteen at alert level 2. The latter group is as listed below with the exception of Seulawah Agam, which is omitted for some reason. The article has been extended, but remains a complete non-story from start to finish. It also remains utterly dumb.]

‘Volcano observation experts are warning that twenty volcanoes across the archipelago are ready to erupt’ – that’s what it says [new location for the story here] in the Jakarta Globe, anyway. According to the Globe‘s report, the head of the Indonesian Institute of Volcanology and Mitigation of Natural Disasters has ‘raised the volcanic activities status of 17 volcanoes in Indonesia, from “normal, or level 1” to “beware, or level 2”.’ Three more volcanoes — Sinabung, Ibu and Karangetang — are on higher levels of alert.

However, according to the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia (VSI) website, 20 volcanoes are on level 2 (yellow) anyway, with Merapi and Seulawah Agam being the most recent to have had their alert levels raised. Karangetang and Ibu are on level 3 (orange), as is Sinabung, where the alert level has just been lowered from level 4 (red). Many of the volcanoes on level 2 have been there for two or three years.

So it’s far from clear just what that Jakarta Globe article is all about.

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Comments

There’s probably something in that idea, Nick. The volcanologists in Indonesia could certainly do with more funding. The publication of actively misleading news stories doesn’t seem the best way to go about that, however.

Why not think of it this way: Your (historical) volcano quotes do tell us much about the people who made the comments and contemporary society. This news item would to future generations of vulcanologists, taking it at face value, seem to be testimony of a period of unusually high volcanic activity. That is, until brought to the attention of a scientist with proper schooling such as history and/or linguistics. Failing that, a dose of common sense might yield the same interpretation.

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